According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the United States has the highest prison population per capita in the world. In 2009, for example, 1 out of every 135 U.S. residents was incarcerated. Generally, inmates convicted of felony offenses serve long sentences in prison (e.g., federal or state prisons), whereas those convicted of misdemeanors receive shorter sentences to be served in jail (e.g., county jail). In either case, while awaiting trial, a suspect or accused may remain incarcerated. During his or her incarceration, an inmate may have opportunities to communicate with the outside world.
By allowing prisoners to have some contact with friends and family while incarcerated, the justice system aims to facilitate their transition back into society upon release. Traditional forms of contact include telephone calls, in-person visitation, conjugal visits, etc. More recently, technological advances have allowed jails and prisons to provide other types of visitation, including individual-to-individual videoconferences and online chat sessions.
Traditional communication services of controlled-environment facilities (such as correctional facilities) include allowing residents (inmates) to place outbound phone calls to non-residents of the controlled-environment facility. Additionally, non-residents can typically schedule video visitation with residents (inmates) of the controlled-environment facility. Other types of communications available to controlled-environment residents include the ability to exchange email and canned text messages between residents and non-residents of the controlled-environment facility. Basically, all of these forms of communication aim to facilitate communication between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and a non-resident.
However, residents of controlled-environment facilities are typically restricted from unauthorized communications with individuals outside of the controlled-environment facility. For example, in correctional facilities inmates are typically prohibited from unauthorized communications with individuals outside of the correctional facility. Thus, in many controlled-environment facilities, unauthorized cell phones, smartphones, tablet computing devices, and other mobile communications devices that circumvent facility communication systems may be considered contraband. Further, in most correctional institutions, or the like possession of a contraband communications device is considered a violation of facility rules and/or regulations, and therefor may be punishable. Often, once located, the contraband communications device is confiscated.
The use of contraband communications devices within controlled-environment facilities, such as correctional institutions, poses a risk to facility security, an avenue for continued criminal activity for correctional system inmates, and additionally a loss in revenues for facility operators and administration. Controlled-environment facility residents may obtain access to contraband devices through many different sources. Family and friends are a potential source. Similarly, facility staff (e.g. corrections officers) may be a potential source of contraband devices. For example, inmates, or associates of inmates, may pay a member of prison staff, such as a corrections officer or civilian worker, to smuggle a contraband communications device, such as a cell phone, into a correctional institution.
Residents may use the contraband communications device to circumvent facility communication systems, which are often monitored. During the course of communications, inmates may make incriminating admissions, commit further criminal acts, conspire to commit further criminal acts, or leave a trail of incriminating data. Ordinarily, these actions and admissions may be monitored by facility communication systems and investigators. By circumventing the facility communication system, however, it may not be possible to monitor such activities. For example, a correctional facility inmate may use a contraband cell phone to contact gang affiliates in an attempt to direct further criminal activity from within the facility. In another correctional environment example, an inmate may use a contraband smartphone or tablet device to access illegal images, including images of child pornography. In a general controlled-environment facility example, a resident may use the contraband communications device to contact friends and family in an effort to avoid payment of communications fees. Additionally, facilities typically make use of revenues derived from a resident's use of facility communication systems to operate, update, and maintain the facility communications system. When a resident circumvents the facility communication systems, financial revenue is lost, which could otherwise benefit the facility and other inmates and administration thereof. Many other illegal or illicit acts may be perpetrated by the use of contraband communications devices.
Authorities operating the controlled-environment facility often try to identify and avoid unauthorized use of contraband communications equipment. There are some previously known methods for detecting and/or controlling access to contraband communications equipment including jamming of frequencies used for cell phone communications, managed access systems, and use of mobile detection equipment (e.g. “wands”), but each of these methods has substantial drawbacks. For example, jamming of communication frequencies is typically illegal in the United States. Managed access systems may allow access to corrections officers and/or staff, but limit access to unauthorized users within the facility, but such systems typically require significant investment in system installation and configuration. Mobile detection equipment may be circumvented by the inmates by simply turning the power off on the device. Also, over the past several years, the above-mentioned sharp increase in the U.S. inmate population has not been followed by a proportional increase in the number of prison or jail staff. To the contrary, budget pressures in local, state, and federal governments have made it difficult for correctional facilities to maintain an adequate number of wardens, officers, and other administration personnel. Hence, many correctional facilities are often unable to perform investigations with respect to their own inmates, such as using mobile equipment to sweep for contraband mobile communications devices, or the like.